Unequal Rights

On Saturday, in an effort to prove to the rest of the country that Texas really, seriously is not gay, without a shadow of a doubt, the Texas Senate approved a proposed constitutional amendment that would ban marriage rights for same-sex couples. The amendment, which has already passed in the House of Representatives, will now go to the voters as a referendum on this November's ballot. While there is already a Defense of Marriage Act on the books in Texas, legislators felt that they had not proven their manly heterosexuality enough to the rest of the country. Even three Democrats--Ken Armbrister of Victoria, Eddie Lucio of Brownsville, and Frank Madla of San Antonio--voted for the amendment, giving it bi-partisan cover.

Of course, in an effort to show that they aren't bigots or anything, lawmakers are saying that this amendment will not infringe anyone's rights. In the words of Republican Senator Todd Staples of Palestine, "There's a distinction between intimate associations and the right to have the government recognize or subsidize your arrangement." Which is true. The government should have nothing to do with your intimate associations. I'll be patiently waiting for the constitutional amendment, banning state recognition of marriage.

[Edited for clarity @ 1:00 CDT]

Robert